Gender differences in the predictive power of prognostic factors in NSCLC. K. Danenberg, J. Brabender, S. Schneider, P. Schneider, R. Metzger, P. V. Danenberg; Response Genetics, Inc., Los Angeles, CA; University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany; Humboldt University Berlin, Berlin, Germany; USC/Norris Cancer Center, Los Angeles, CA Abstract: Background. In this study, we performed quantitative analysis of the gene expressions of a number of candidate prognostic factors in NSCLC and evaluated each gene expression as a prognostic factor in male and female patients (pts). Materials and Methods. Expression levels of 38 candidate prognostic genes were determined by quantitative real time RT-PCR (TaqmanŽ) in 91 tumor tissues from pts with curatively resected NSCLC stage I to IIIa. This group included 21 female pts. All tumors were R0 resected. Pts with stage IIIa received adjuvant radiotherapy. Statistical methods were used to find gene expression cut-off values that separated pts into groups with different survival. Results. Overall median survival (MS) was was not significantly different for males and females (51 vs 44 months, respectively). Females had significantly higher median expression of Bax, Her2, COX-1, RARa, RXRb and RXRg than males, whereas median EGFR was higher among males than females. Gene expressions of Her2, ERCC1, RXRb were female-specific prognostic factors. For female pts with high Her2 expression (>13) MS was not reached, but for low Her2 (<13), MS was 26 months (p=0.006). High ERCC1 (> 12) gave MS of 60 months, but 29 months for low ERCC1 (<13) (p=0.026). For high RXRb (>9) MS was 59 months but 20 months for LOW RXRb (< 9) (p=0.019). Differential survival of males was not significantly predicted by these gene expressions. However, high COX-2 expression (>1) significantly predicted for shorter survival in males (p=0.028) but not in females and low ODC (<11) was a significant predictor of shorter survival in males (p=0.008) but not in females. Conclusion. Our data show that prognostic factors can be strongly gender-specific and that a marker that is not useful for one sex can be highly predictive in the other. Pt groups should be separated by genders to derive maximal benefit from prognostic factors. Abstract No: 7008 Remember we are NOT Doctors and have NO medical training. This site is like an Encylopedia - there are many pages, many links on many topics. Support our work with any size DONATION - see left side of any page - for how to donate. You can help raise awareness of CAM.